Rev. John Burton frames the Fiji Methodist Mission, 1924 | Intellect Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies
  4. Volume 8, Issue 2
  5. Article
Photography in the Pacific Part 2
  • ISSN: 2050-4039
  • E-ISSN: 2050-4047

Abstract

In his role as General Secretary of the Australasian Methodist Missionary Society in the 1920s and 1930s, Reverend John W. Burton travelled each winter to one of the ‘mission fields’ in the South Pacific to inspect the mission’s activities, and to encourage and advise. Accompanying him was his camera; Burton had long been an enthusiastic photographer. Following his 1924 visit to Fiji he created two albums of his photographs, one illustrating the indigenous Fijian mission, the other the Indian mission. This article focuses on the ‘social biography’ of the photographs, and examines Burton’s choice and balance of subjects in each album, which cover educational and other mission activities, village and town scenes, landscapes and individual and group portraits. It also considers the placement and message in context of many of the individual photographs when they were later reproduced to illustrate stories in the mission magazine, , of which Burton was the Editor.

© 2020 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/nzps_00036_1
2020-12-01
2024-04-28
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Ahrens, Prue. ( 2003;), ‘ Reading Reverend George Brown’s Samoan photographs. ’, History of Photography, 27:2, pp. 188–91.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Ahrens, Prue. ( 2005a;), ‘ Colonising with Christianity? The case of George Brown, missionary photographer. ’, Third Text, 19:3, pp. 259–67.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Ahrens, Prue. ( 2005b;), ‘ From darkness to light: The story of conversion in the Reverend George Brown’s photographs. ’, Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 19:2, pp. 279–84.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Allen, J. H.. ( 1923;), ‘ The educational position in India. ’, Missionary Review, June, pp. 18–20.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Allen, Roland. ( 1912), Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours?, London:: Lutterworth Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Andrews, Charles Freer, and Pearson, William Winstanley. ( 1916), Report on Indentured Labour in Fiji: An Independent Enquiry, Calcutta:: Star Printing Works;.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Anon. ( 1931;), ‘ A league of youthful workers. ’, Missionary Review, October, pp. 4–6.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Brown, William,, Burton, John W., and Burnett, W. E.. ( 1910;), ‘ The recent disastrous hurricane in Fiji. ’, Missionary Review, May, pp. 5–8.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Burton, John W.. ( 1904;), ‘ Leaves from a missionary’s log. ’, Missionary Review, August, pp. 4–6.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Burton, John W.. ( 1906;), ‘ The new Fiji. ’, Missionary Review, June, pp. 4–6.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Burton, John W.. ( 1910;), ‘ Our industrial mission in Fiji. ’, Missionary Review, February, pp. 7–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Burton, John W.. ( 1922;), ‘ The problem of education on the mission field. ’, Missionary Review, December, pp. 1–5.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Burton, John W.. ( 1924a), handwritten notebook entitled ‘Fiji 1924’, in John Burton’s papers, ML MSS 2899 Add-on 990 , Sydney:: Mitchell Library;.
  14. Burton, John W.. ( 1924b;), ‘ Between ourselves: Kinders in Fiji. ’, Missionary Review, October, pp. 1–4.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Burton, John W.. ( 1924c;), ‘ Christianity and the Race Problem. ’, Missionary Review, December, pp. 1–5.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Burton, John W.. ( 1926), Our Task in Papua, Melbourne:: Epworth Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Carolane, Peter. ( 2006;), ‘ Reading colonial mission photographs: Viewing John Bulmer’s photographs of nineteenth century mission life at Lake Tyers Aboriginal Mission Station through an evangelical lens. ’, in Penelope Edmonds, and Samuel Furphy. (eds), Rethinking Colonial Histories: New and Alternative Approaches, Melbourne:: Department of History, University of Melbourne;, pp. 107–122.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Chambers, Harold. ( 1933;), ‘ A missionary on tour. ’, Missionary Review, September, pp. 4–7.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Close-Barry, Kirstie. ( 2015), A Mission Divided: Race, Culture and Colonialism in Fiji’s Methodist Mission, Canberra:: Australian National University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Edwards, Elizabeth. ( 1992;), ‘ Introduction. ’, in Elizabeth Edwards. (ed.), Anthropology and Photography 1860-1920, New Haven and London:: Yale University Press;, pp. 3–17.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Edwards, Elizabeth. ( 2001), Raw Histories: Photographs, Anthropology and Museums, Oxford and New York:: Berg;.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Edwards, Elizabeth. ( 2012;), ‘ Objects of affect: Photography beyond the image. ’, Annual Review of Anthropology, 41, pp. 221–34.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Gardner, Helen, and Philp, Jude. ( 2006;), ‘ Photography and Christian mission: George Brown’s images of the New Britain mission, 1875-80. ’, Journal of Pacific History, 41:2, pp. 175–90.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Garnham, Florence. ( 1918), A Report on the Social and Moral Conditions of Indians in Fiji: Being the Outcome of an Investigation Set on Foot by Combined Women’s Organisations of Australasia, Sydney:: Kingston Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Gillion, K. L.. ( 1962), Fiji’s Indian Migrants: A History to the End of Indenture in 1920, Melbourne:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Hodge, Mollie. ( 1923;), ‘ Round the fire in Papua. ’, Missionary Review, December, p. 5.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Jenkins, Paul. ( 1993;), ‘ The earliest generation of missionary photographers in West Africa and the portrayal of indigenous people and culture. ’, History in Africa, 20, pp. 89–118.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Kelly, John D.. ( 1991), A Politics of Virtue: Hinduism, Sexuality, and Countercolonial Discourse in Fiji, Chicago:: University of Chicago Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Kelly, John D.. ( 1995;), ‘ Threats to difference in colonial Fiji. ’, Cultural Anthropology, 10:1, pp. 64–84.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Ledua, Joni. ( 1934a;), ‘ An appreciation by a native teacher. ’, Missionary Review, January, p. 18.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Ledua, Joni. ( 1934b;), ‘ A Fijian school holiday. ’, Missionary Review, September, pp. 18–20.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Lindstrom, Lamont. ( 2016;), ‘ Darkness and light in black and white: Travelling mission imagery from the New Hebrides. ’, in Kalissa Alexeyeff, and John Taylor. (eds), Touring Pacific Cultures, Canberra:: Australian National University Press;, pp. 33–57.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Lübcke, Antje. ( 2012;), ‘ Two New Hebrides mission photograph albums: An object-story of story-objects. ’, Journal of Pacific History, 47:2, pp. 187–209.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Luker, Victoria. ( 1997;), ‘ Mothers of the Taukei: Fijian women and “the Decrease of the Race”. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Canberra:: Australian National University;.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Lydon, Jane. ( 2005), Eye Contact: Photographing Indigenous Australians, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Lydon, Jane. ( 2015;), ‘ Photography, authenticity and Victoria’s Aborigines Protection Act (1886). ’, in Leigh Boucher, and Lynette Russell. (eds), Settler Colonial Governance in Nineteenth-Century Victoria, Canberra:: Australian National University Press;, pp. 139–64.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Maxwell, David. ( 2011;), ‘ Photography and the religious encounter: Ambiguity and aesthetics in missionary representations of the Luba of south east Belgian Congo. ’, Comparative Studies in Society and History, 53:1, pp. 38–74.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Methodist Missionary Society of Australia (MMSA) ( 1935;), ‘ Executive board minutes. ’, 13 September, budget estimates for 1936. MOM276, MMSA archives , Mitchell Library;, Sydney:.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Missionary Review ( 1931), February, p. 5 [image published as a filler between articles] .
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Mowson, Alan. ( 1932;), ‘ Education in Fiji. ’, Missionary Review, February, pp. 5–10.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Nabou, Eapi. ( 1923;), ‘ A little heroine and a brave blind man. ’, Missionary Review, January, p. 7.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Newton, Gael. ( 2008), Picture Paradise: Asia-Pacific Photography 1840s–1940s, Canberra:: National Gallery of Australia;.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Nunn, F. L.. ( 1928;), ‘ Paul Lala Aharwardin, seeker of salvation. ’, Missionary Review, December, pp. 5–7.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Piper, Richard. ( 1910;), ‘ The Indian work in Navua, Fiji. ’, Missionary Review, January, pp. 8–9.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Quanchi, Max. ( 2007), Photographing Papua: Representation, Colonial Encounters and Imaging in the Public Domain, Newcastle:: Cambridge Scholars Publishing;.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Rosenblum, Naomi. ( 1984), A World History of Photography, New York:: Abbeville Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Sidal, Morven. ( 1997), Hannah Dudley, Hamari Maa: Honoured Mother, Educator and Missioner to the Indentured Indians of Fiji, 1864-1931, Suva:: Pacific Theological College;.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Smith, E. H.,, Trudinger, I.,, Collins, E. and Harris, M. E.. ( 1932;), ‘ Women’s work: What missionary sisters do. ’, Missionary Review, January, pp. 4–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Stanley, Brian. ( 2008;), ‘ A church of the three selves: A perspective from the World Missionary Conference 1910. ’, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 36:3, pp. 435–51.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Thomas, Nicholas. ( 1992;), ‘ Colonial conversions: Difference, hierarchy and history in early 20th century evangelical propaganda. ’, Comparative Studies in Society and History, 34, pp. 366–89.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Thomas, Nicholas. ( 1994), Colonialism’s Culture: Anthropology, Travel and Government, Cambridge:: Polity Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Thompson, T. Jack. ( 2012), Light on Darkness: Missionary Photography of Africa in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries, Grand Rapids, MI:: Eerdmans;.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Vunivalu, Ravuama. ( 1938;), ‘ Methodist mission schools for Fijians in Fiji. ’, Missionary Review, August, pp. 14–16.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Webb, Virginia-Lee. ( 1997;), ‘ Missionary photographers in the Pacific Islands: Divine light. ’, History of Photography, 21:1, pp. 12–22.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Weir, Christine. ( 2013;), ‘ “Deeply interested in these children whom you have not seen”: the Protestant Sunday School view of the Pacific, 1900-1940. ’, Journal of Pacific History, 48:1, pp. 43–62.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Weir, Christine. ( 2015;), ‘ John Wear Burton: Missionary, administrator, mission theorist (1875–1970). ’, in William Emilsen, and Patricia Curthoys. (eds), Out of the Ordinary: Twelve Australian Methodist Biographies, Sydney:: MediaCom;, pp. 55–89.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Weir, Christine. ( 2017;), ‘ Methodist childhoods: The education and formation of the young Methodist in Australia and Fiji, 1900-1950. ’, in Hugh Morrison, and Mary Clare Martin. (eds), Creating Religious Childhoods: Children, Young People and Christianity in Anglo-World and British Colonial Contexts, 1800-1950, London:: Ashgate;, pp. 103–21.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Wood, A. Harold. ( 1978), Overseas Missions of the Australian Methodist Church – Volume 2: Fiji-Indian and Rotuma, Melbourne:: Aldersgate Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. World Missionary Conference ( 1910), Report of Commission II: The Church in The Mission Field, Edinburgh:.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Weir, Christine. ( 2020;), ‘ Rev. John Burton frames the Fiji Methodist Mission, 1924. ’, Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies, 8:2, pp. 171–191, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/nzps_00036_1
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/nzps_00036_1
Loading
Rev. John Burton frames the Fiji Methodist Mission, 1924
Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies 8, 171 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1386/nzps_00036_1
/content/journals/10.1386/nzps_00036_1
/content/journals/10.1386/nzps_00036_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): church missions; Fijians; Indo-Fijians; J. W. Burton; Missionary Review; photographic albums; social biography

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error